When utilizing a powered saw, such as a table saw, circular saw, radial arm saw, powered miter saw, etc., to cut material such as wood, the saw blade must often be removed for sharpening, or replaced with a different type of blade for different materials or types of cuts. The process of removing or disengaging the blade from the saw is generally time consuming and awkward, as the blade must be held stationary while a user loosens the nut that holds the blade in position on the rotating shaft of the saw. This is especially the case for a table saw, in which the blade is located within an opening in the table and includes portions located above and portions located below the upper surface of the table.
When holding and removing the blade, care must be taken to ensure that the blade does not injure the person or persons removing the blade. Such injuries can occur when the blade is inadvertently moved in the process of disengaging the blade from the saw. To prevent this, oftentimes an obstruction, such as a wood block, is jammed into engagement with the teeth of the blade by the user to prevent rotation of the blade. The obstruction is typically positioned between the blade and the table supporting the saw. However, the teeth of the blade remain exposed during the process of loosening or tightening the nut that holds the blade on the rotating shaft of the saw, which presents the potential for the user's hands or fingers to come into contact with and be injured by the teeth of the blade when loosening and/or tightening the nut.
In addition, in order to remove a blade or place a blade on the shaft, the blade normally must be moved laterally and vertically with respect to the table due to the positioning of the blade within the opening in the table. Thus, when the blade is being removed from or installed on the shaft, the user must physically grasp the blade in order to slide and/or lift the blade off the shaft or to move the blade onto the shaft. This increases the potential for the user to come into contact with the teeth of the blade, or for the blade teeth to be damaged during handling, such as by the user inadvertently dropping the blade into the saw or onto a hard surface, such as a floor on which the table saw is supported.
Therefore, it is desirable that a device be developed that enables a user to safely grasp the saw blade in a secure manner without contacting the teeth, and which also enables the user to hold the blade in a manner which greatly reduces the potential for the blade to be inadvertently dropped and damaged. It is also desirable for the device to have a relatively simple construction to provide low cost and ease of manufacture, as well as simplicity in operation.